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ORE SBPABA'TQR. 4 10.292.637.. "Patented .161.11.29, 1884.

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riir-En'lg-f-STATES PATENT fOEEicEg nADLEr yr. FAIRFIELD, or wEsr MEEEonD, MAssAouUsE' ORE-SEPA,RATOR.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'v Patent No. 292,637', dated January 29, 1884.

' Application filed April 16, 1883. (No model.)

-To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HADLEY P. FAIRFIELD,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in sec-v tion, of ancre-separating apparatus embodying this invention; and` Fig. 2, an end` elevation thereof.

The frame-work a,'of suitable` form, is provided with bearings for the cylinders b b', over which the endless oresupporting surface passes, the said surface consisting of a wiregauze belt, c, surmounted by a cloth, of, provided with a series ofrifflesor transverse upwardly-projeeting ribs, (Las best shown in a broken-away portion in Fig. l. The said surface is provided atits edges with flanges or deckels c, preferably of rubber, whichr prevent the ore from falling off over the sides. One ofthe said cylinders, as b, is at a higher level than the other, so that the ore-supporting surface is inclined as shown, and the said cylinders are revolved, as hereinafter described, in sucha direction as to vcause the surface upon which the ore is supported to travel from the lower to the higher level.

A hopper, c, contains the pulverized ore to be operated upon, it having at its lower end a suitable gate or valve, e', the said hopper and valve constituting feeding mechanism,by

which the ore maybe delivered in the proper quantities upon the surface c.

An airchamber, f, is included between the portion of the surface c that is tangential to the upper edges of the cylinders b b and the portion of the said surface kthat is tangential to the lower edges of thev said cylinders, the portion connecting the upper edges of the said cylinders constituting the top of the said airchamber, so that air forced into it Vwill escape through the meshes of the said supporting-surface throughout nearly its entire eX- tont. The air is forced into the said chamber f intermittingly, to thus produce a series of puffs orsudden currents passing' through the saidsurface, by means of an air-,forcing dey vice or bellows, 71 the dischargeopening hof which (see Fig. 2) enters a chamber, t', connected by a pipe, i', w-ith the air-chamber f, the said pipe having a checkfvalve, 2, opening toward the said chamber. The said bellows is operated to produce sudden intermit-y ting currents or puffs by means of a link or pitman, k, connected with a wrist-pin, m, upon vided with a pinion, mi, meshing with anpactuatinggear, mt, mounted on ashaft, m, provided a wrist-plate, m', fixed upon a shaft, mi, prowith an actuating crank or handle, mf, to be rotated by the opera-tor or by suitable power. The said shaft m5 is also provided with a worm, oz, meshing with a worm-gear, a', upon a shaft, a?, provided with a worm, n, meshing with a worm-gear, at, upon the shaft I)2 of the cylinderb, and thus producing'a slow rotation of the said cylinder, causing a very slow movement of the ore-separating surface c from the upper Asurface of the cylinder b' toward the upper surface of the cylinder b.

Ribs o `rest upon the flanges c3 of the edges ofthe oresupporting surface, and prevent it from being raised by the pressure of the air beneath, so that thesaid air is permitted to escape only through. the meshes of the said sur# face and the ore thereon, which latter is thus agitated.

The ore is delivered from the hopper e near the higher part of the surface, and the current of air passing upward through the said inclined surface will throw thev said ore upward substantially at right angles thereto, so that it in' falling will strike on a lower portion of the surface, and the lighter material, which is thrown highest, will thus gradually pass toward the lower end of the surface, while the heavier materials will not be thrown over the riflies d, but will gradually accumulate upon the surf face c in front of the said riftles, where they will `remain substantially unaffected by the currents of air, and will be carried forward in the "slow movement of the traveling surface and ultimately discharged over the cylinder b.

The combination,substantially as shown and described, of the hppper, an endless traveling IOO belt provided with transverse riiiles and longitudinal deekels, drums to support such belt, with its end next the hopper higher than the other, gearing to drive such belt, an airehainber through which the upper part of the belt passes, an air-forcing apparatus, a l

Chamber into which the air is forced thereby, and aconduit or pipe connecting the two airchambers, all and severally as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine [o to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RADLEY l. FAlRFl'ELl.

\Vitnesses:

Jos.V l. Lrvlcniroxrz, W. H. SIGsToN. 

